It was in the British capital that Togo, in partnership with the African Union, organised a historic conference on pan-Africanism and reparations on 9 April 2025. A symbolic return to the source of a fight for justice and memory.
The conference ‘The London Conference, 125 Years Later: Pan-Africanism and Dialogue on Reparations’ was held in the British capital 125 years after the very first Pan-African Congress in 1900. Organised by the Republic of Togo in collaboration with the African Union, this meeting marks a major symbolic and political turning point. Representatives of several African states, academics, activists and members of the diaspora came together to reflect on the reparations owed to the African peoples in relation to slavery, colonisation and their current after-effects.
“I think we are here because indeed 125 years ago, visionary figures gathered here in London to deliberate on the future of Africa and its people scattered across the globe by the facts of history. Their vision was clear to unite African people, to oppose the existence of exacerbated fascism, exclusion and oppression.”
Robert Dussey, Minister of Foreign Affairs – Togo
At the heart of the discussions: the need for historical justice and recognition. The meeting will also serve as a preparatory stage for the 9th Pan-African Congress, scheduled for 2025 in Lomé. In an international context where debates on reparations are gaining momentum, London resonates as a place of remembrance and rebirth for pan-African aspirations. A return to its roots that makes sense, given that it was in this very city that W.E.B. Du Bois, Henry Sylvester-Williams and other pioneers planted the first seeds of modern pan-Africanism.
“I affirm that the origin of the universality of human rights comes to us from the Mandingo empire in the XIIIᵉ century. And it’s clear, we had the charter, the charter of a Mandingo empire since the XIIIᵉ century. And everyone knows, historically speaking, that the French Revolution happened. So afterwards, 500 years later, it was and we should be proud of it. And I’m not saying this because it’s me or even because it’s you. UNESCO has recognised it.”
Robert Dussey, Minister of Foreign Affairs – Togo
Finally, the conference was also an opportunity to shed light on the philosophical and cultural foundations of Africa, which are often overlooked. Through panels, personal accounts and inter-generational exchanges, the participants emphasised the urgent need to rethink history on the basis of African truths. By affirming the continuity between past and present struggles, London 2025 stands out as an essential milestone in the quest for a more just and united pan-African future.